What great tournament with excellent food and festivities. Man they really take care of you each year from the tournament bags to the excellent food and adult beverages.

Day 1

Headed out near the cigar and lines out. 9:43 a white comes in on the bridge rod and Mark hooks it up to pass down to Paul. Get the leader for the release. We troll around the area and have another encounter to no avail. Did end up going threw 36 baits due to peanut dolphin on the weed line. YIKES!!!

Day 2

Rough as snot. Get out to lines in 15 minutes late. Just as we put lines in Swordfish hooks up. Troll around to no avail for several hours. Work a little North and get a little nibble from a billed one to no avail. With 30 minutes left I head up to the bridge for some air and see if I can see anything. I see a sulfur line in the distance. Joe trolls thru it and down it. I see a buoy and with limited time left ask if we can put a rigger on it for some action and who knows. Well about 50 yards from it a HUGE BUL DOLPHIN come sin on the Mackerel and almost swallows it whole. That is how big it was. Then Paul misses it on the short out of the chair and Mark hooks up in the bridge. I see it jump and yell "Money fish, clear lines". Clear lines and Joe does a great job backing down quickly on this fish. I tell everyone NOT TO TOUCH THE LEADER. I have a 6' gaff out of the engine room and we will take our time. This was a good 45 to 50 pound class fish:bigfish:. We were fighting it from the bridge due to several bites in the pit and you must pass a rod immediately or that person must fight it. So no need to leader the fish I can get it with the gaff. Well sure enough someone reaches over out of know where and puts a wrap on an 80# leader, POP! SHIT!!!!!! Kevin (Capt Joe's old mate on Keyed-Up) was fishing with us and he could not believe this person did this either. He was yelling to him when he saw him come out of know where and grab the leader as well.

Lesson: leader will break so you must respect the power of these fish and only use a little bit of pressure (Unless you have the big stuff) or you may loose a fish of a life time. Wait for your shot. If you keep the line tight and pressure on the fish it will it will come, just give it time.

Nice report....sucks on the leader breaking on the dolphin....would have been worth 10,666.68, which that 37 pounder won.....it was blowing it's ass off.....good to be in a big boat....Bob

Nice report.

Although the tournament was fun - it was sure as hell not smooth out there in a 38 footer - 2 very long days.

After reading the money's it would have paid out. I sat down and felt for Joe the owner. Man it is hard when we did everything right and have someone try and be a hero. Especially when two mates are telling them not to do anything, but let me handle it.

Fighting the weather and all, a sad story. Good fight Kevin.

Kevin: Sorry you did not get the Bull, I assume you trolled for sharks using the guy, who manhandled the leader, on a 14/0 hook !!! Bob!!

Sorry to hear that Kevin! That sucks...even more when it would ahve taken the pot.